Coffee Hangouts: West Kowloon

Jan 17

I explored West Kowloon with a friend this weekend. We went all the way to a coffee shop called “Rest. Coffee. Gin”.

At first, there were long lines or “queues”, as we call it here in Hong Kong. A long line for takeout and sitting in, but I managed to get a small table and order some of their specialty coffee and matcha tea.

At first, there were long lines or “queues”, as we call it here in Hong Kong. It was a long line for takeout and sitting in, but I managed to get a small table and order some of their specialty coffee and matcha tea.

Ceramic cups and peaceful environment.

Their environment was very peaceful and it had a Japanese style (which I enjoyed!). Their cups were so cute and different. Most of the cups were made out of ceramic.

Their menu was displayed with different coffee beans, which customers can smell and read where the coffee beans come from. Ethiopia, Brazil, Colombia, and other countries. They asked me if I wanted a more fruity, nutty, or roasted flavors. Wow, this really surprised me. I ended up choosing the Colombian bean for my friend, which was sweet and nutty. I also ordered a matcha tea from Bikouken, Kyoto.

Strong flavors.

When my friend and I tasted our drinks, they both had very rich, strong flavors. Different from the usual “fast” coffee places. I observed how they take each order and carefully put all the ingredients, measurements; making sure it’s the best quality.

Even though it was a super busy weekend, with a lot of people waiting and lining up, the staff took time to explain their different coffee beans and tea leaves flavors.

We enjoyed a couple of hours catching up and I was surprised that there wasn’t a 90-minute time limit, which is a usual thing for restaurants and coffee shops in such a crowded city like Hong Kong.